Fasting is a practice in which a person gives up something to become closer to God, giving up something people pleasure for a more important goal. The 6th and 8th grade religion teacher, Ms. Mathews, at St. Robert says that Catholics fast from eating on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and an hour before communion. Many Catholics choose to fast from hobbies and bad habits or from certain foods during Lent. Some of the foods people give up include sweets, unhealthy food, or fast food. Others abstain from negative habits, such as procrastination, saying harsh things, self-hatred, and social media. People can and should give up things that bring them harm or pull their focus away from God. Dr. Pudner, a 7th grade religion teacher at St. Robert, says that “[s]ome people fast for dietary or health reasons, but more people fast as a way of growing closer to God, or giving him honor, or underscoring their prayers.”
Some people enjoy fasting, but others, including 7th grader Aubree Rae, think that fasting is difficult. Fasting can be hard for some people and can lead to people feeling self doubt. Dr. Pudner states, “I can’t say that I do [enjoy fasting], although sometimes it gives me a sense of mental clarity. Mostly, I don’t like it. But I do it as a way of showing God that I love him better than what I gave up. When I have the urge for something I’m fasting from… I turn that into a prayer of love to God.” People can learn that from fasting; they can grow their relationship with God even when they struggle. Just as Jesus spent forty days without food, individuals spend forty days without something that could drag them away from God, and like Jesus, face temptation to go back to what they try to escape. Turning to God for help when fasting isn’t bad. Some might think that turning to God for help when the goal is to get closer to God might be bad, but that is not the case. God wants individuals to get closer to Him through His help. God just wants us to love Him as He loves us.
Fasting can be a hard time to get through, but the outcome is amazing. Aubree Rae adds that she feels like she “can open [her] heart up and take God in.” God sees individuals’ determination to be with Him after fasting, and He sees people’s want for Him and He lets us be with Him. People can feel real hunger and want for what they gave up. This physical hunger may reflect the true hunger: the hunger all people have for Christ. No matter the difficulty sacrifices may bring, God will always wait until His people are ready for Him. Dr. Pudner declares that people only have to “give up what the Church asks, which it only asks for on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (one medium meal and two smaller meals that add up to less than the medium one, no snacks), and to abstain from meat during Fridays in Lent. Otherwise, you decide. Pray about it, and see what the Holy Spirit suggests.” Individuals should listen to what God and the Holy Spirit leads them to give up. No matter how much or how big of sacrifice is made, God will always love His people.
